Five Lanes CofE VC Primary School

Five Lanes Primary School Inspection report

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133233 Unique Reference Number Wiltshire Local Authority 316045 Inspection number 7 February 2008 Inspection date Susan Orpin Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 101 School The governing body Appropriate authority Frank Marshall Chair Sue Berry Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Blackberry Lane School address Potterne Devizes SN10 5NZ 01380 723068 Telephone number 01380 723068 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 7 February 2008 Inspection date 316045 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Five Lanes is a small primary school. Pupils are mainly White British. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. Fewer pupils than is usual are eligible for free school meals and there are some pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. There are more girls than boys. The school is the result of an amalgamation of two primary schools in September 2006 and is on two sites approximately three miles apart. The school has gained the Activemark award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008

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Grade: 3

Five Lanes Primary School provides its pupils with a satisfactory standard of education that is improving. Pupils are confident, and they work and play together well in a safe, caring environment. Standards when children start school are below those normally expected. Achievement is satisfactory but standards by the end of Years 2 and 6 are below average. Generally, standards in writing are slightly lower than in reading, but pupils' progress in writing is already improving, despite the short time the school has been open. Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. Pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in their above average attendance. Most pupils' behaviour is good and has improved because of the actions taken by the school. However, there are a few occasions when minor disruptions reduce the effectiveness of a small number of lessons. Pupils know how to stay healthy, are physically very active and

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Grade: 3

eat healthily. They contribute to the local and school communities well, for example by contributing to the Young People's Forum. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Relationships are good and all adults encourage pupils so they want to learn. Lessons are often practical and interesting and groups and individuals are supported well by teaching assistants. Generally, teachers minimise behaviour problems by their good management of pupils. However, the work set is not always suitably matched to pupils' differing abilities and sometimes the pace is too slow or pupils have to listen for too long. However, the teaching of writing has improved, by making work more interesting and stimulating. Teachers assess pupils' work regularly and their comments are encouraging, but they do not always give pupils enough information to help them improve. The curriculum is satisfactory and has some good features, including the links between subjects that make learning

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Grade: 3

more relevant and interesting and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in other subjects to help pupils learn. The provision for personal, social and health education and for sports is also good. Planning for mixed-age classes is being developed but it does not always ensure that all pupils are taught everything that is required. The curriculum is enriched well by a wide range of trips and visitors. The care, guidance and support for pupils are satisfactory. Pupils are cared for well and their safety is ensured. Pupils' academic guidance is satisfactory but although assessments are regular, they do not yet consistently help pupils improve. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has successfully amalgamated two very different schools into a new school with a strong team of staff. In the short time the school has been open there have been improvements in pupils' behaviour and the teaching of

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Grade: 3

writing. The extensive school data on pupils' progress are used well to give pupils additional help where required. The monitoring of teaching is rigorous but it has not yet led to enough good teaching. School targets are adequately challenging. The governance of the school is satisfactory and governors have helped galvanise two different schools into one. They are well informed about the work of the school, but they do not always ask the challenging questions needed to hold it to account when they analyse the school's performance. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008

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Grade: 3

Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Children's standards are below those expected for their age when they start school. Their attainment is particularly low in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and creative development. Children make satisfactory progress in the Reception Year but, by Year 1, most do not achieve all the goals expected for their age. Their progress is best in disposition and attitudes, numbers for labels and counting, and physical development. Children are suitably organised and taught satisfactorily by the teacher and her assistant. Provision for their personal development is particularly strong and children learn to become more independent. There is a sound balance between purposeful play and more structured activities that are interesting and enjoyable. Although children have access to an outside area, it is not used as often as it might be to promote pupils' physical development.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Use the evidence from monitoring to raise standards and improve achievement, by ensuring that all teaching is suitably challenging and matched to pupils' differing needs. ■ Improve the planning of the curriculum to ensure that all pupils in mixed-age classes are taught everything that is required. ■ Ensure that marking and academic guidance help pupils to improve their work.

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What the school should do to improve further

A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement throughout the school is satisfactory. The standards attained by pupils in national assessments in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 in 2007 were average, representing satisfactory achievement. Although the results attained in the tests at the end of Year 6 in 2007 were below average, the work of current pupils and the school's own assessments show that the achievement of pupils in Years 3 to 6 is satisfactory. For example, pupils in Year 6 understand the difference between the mode, median and mean when analysing data. Generally, standards in writing are slightly lower than in reading, but pupils' progress in writing is already improving, because of the school's actions to improve teaching. Standards in science are slightly higher than those in other subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make similar progress to their peers.

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Grade: 2

The school is a happy community where pupils play and work together well. Most pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in their above average attendance. Pupils are confident and demonstrate the ability to reflect on their own and other people's religions. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are aware of ways to stay healthy, readily participating in physical education lessons and playing energetically. They also eat healthily, choosing healthy snacks and lunchtime choices. Pupils' behaviour is generally good and has 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008 improved since the school opened in 2006. However, there are a few occasions when minor disruptions reduce the effectiveness of a small number of lessons. Around the school and in lessons pupils are safety conscious and care for each other. They contribute to the local and school communities well. They readily undertake responsibilities around the school, such as

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Grade: 2

being a class monitor or a school council member and they energetically raise funds for worthwhile charities. They contribute to the Young People's Forum (a local meeting where they are able to express their views) and are helping to gain Eco-school status (an award for demonstrating energy conservation and recycling). Pupils' ability to work constructively with others and their satisfactory progress in literacy and numeracy mean they are soundly prepared for their future lives.

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Grade: 3

Throughout the school, relationships are good and all adults encourage pupils so they gain confidence and want to learn. Teaching assistants are effectively deployed, working well with individual pupils and groups. Teachers often plan interesting practical activities that help pupils understand; for example in a Year 2 lesson, pupils were learning how to recognise and describe smells by pretending to be badgers, smelling different pots of cotton wool. In most lessons, teachers manage their pupils well and, generally, behaviour problems are quickly resolved, although when pupils listen for too long they sometimes become restless. However, in some lessons, the work is not always suitably planned to meet pupils' differing needs, at times being too difficult and on other occasions being too easy. The teaching of writing is improving because teachers are developing effective new ideas and approaches, such as the 'Story Making Project'.

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Grade: 3

Assessment is satisfactory, pupils know their targets and marking is regular and positive. However, marking does not always give pupils enough information about how they can improve. Assessment is not always sufficiently accurate, so sometimes pupils' work does not fully match their needs.

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Grade: 3

The planning of the curriculum ensures that good links are made between subjects, so pupils can learn from relevant, interesting topics. For example, one teacher effectively used information about body dimensions, collected as part of science, in a mathematics lesson to help pupils understand how to use data in different ways. Pupils are encouraged to use ICT, particular for research purposes, to help them learn other subjects. There is a good programme of personal, social and health education, which has already made a considerable contribution to improving pupils' behaviour and their overall well-being. The provision for sports is good, using the strong links with other schools to provide a wide range of interesting activities. The curriculum is enriched well through a good range of trips and visitors, such as a trip to Salisbury Cathedral and a visit from a theatre group about bullying. Although being developed, planning for

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Grade: 3

mixed-age classes does not always ensure that all pupils are taught everything required. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008

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Grade: 3

The school provides a safe, supportive learning environment that effectively nurtures pupils' personal development and well-being. Pupils know who to go to if they have any worries and they are confident to do so. Procedures to protect children and to ensure their safety are robust and regular safety checks are made. There are good procedures to help children settle when they start school and prepare Year 6 pupils for secondary education. Links with external agencies are strong and provide support for pupils when required. For example, a counselling service is offered to pupils in Years 5 and 6 if they have any confidential worries. Pupils' academic guidance is satisfactory. Their progress in English and mathematics is regularly assessed and they know their targets, but assessment is not yet consistent and does not always indicate how pupils can improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Leaders and managers have worked tenaciously to bring together two very different school communities. They have successfully built the identity of the new school in a short time, and are now in a sound position for improvement to continue. The headteacher leads by example and, despite the split site, has built a cohesive and strong team of staff. There are extensive school data on pupils' progress, which are usually used well to give individuals and groups of pupils additional help when needed. The monitoring of teaching is rigorous, with some indications that it has led to improvement to the teaching of writing and behaviour. However, in the short time since amalgamation, this has not yet led to enough good teaching. The school's targets are adequately challenging and based on an analysis of pupils' attainment. The work of the governors is sound. They are highly committed, very perceptive and supportive

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Grade: 3

and have played a key role in helping galvanise two different schools into one. They are well informed and have a good grasp of the work of the school since it opened, but they do not always ask the challenging questions needed to hold the school to account when they analyse the school's performance. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? NA Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 February 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Five Lanes Primary School, Devizes SN10 5NZ Thank you for making us so welcome in your school. We enjoyed talking to you and were very impressed by how friendly, polite and confident you are. Your school is giving you a satisfactory standard of education and is improving.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ These are some of the good points we found out about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make satisfactory progress and your writing is improving.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you enjoy school and feel safe, and adults take good care of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you behave well and take good care of each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You contribute well to your school and to the local community.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are taught in a satisfactory way and you get on well with teachers and teaching assistants.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Links between different subjects help to make lessons more interesting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is led in a satisfactory way; adults work as a team, even though they are in two different places, and the headteacher knows what to do to make the right improvements. To help your school get even better, we have asked your teachers to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ improve the level of your work, which is below average at the moment, by making sure lessons are not too easy or too difficult for you ■ make sure you cover the full range of topics when you are in classes with more than one year group ■ ensure that you get more guidance about how to improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help by making sure you listen carefully and behave well at all times. Yours sincerely Sue Orpin Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Five Lanes Primary School, 7 February 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of Five Lanes Primary School, Devizes SN10 5NZ

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Annex B

Thank you for making us so welcome in your school. We enjoyed talking to you and were very impressed by how friendly, polite and confident you are. Your school is giving you a satisfactory standard of education and is improving.

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Annex B

These are some of the good points we found out about your school. • You make satisfactory progress and your writing is improving. • Most of you enjoy school and feel safe, and adults take good care of you. • Most of you behave well and take good care of each other. • You contribute well to your school and to the local community. • You are taught in a satisfactory way and you get on well with teachers and teaching assistants. • Links between different subjects help to make lessons more interesting. • Most of you know your targets. • The school is led in a satisfactory way; adults work as a team, even though they are in two different places, and the headteacher knows what to do to make the right improvements.

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Annex B

To help your school get even better, we have asked your teachers to:

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Annex B

• improve the level of your work, which is below average at the moment, by making sure lessons are not too easy or too difficult for you • make sure you cover the full range of topics when you are in classes with more than one year group • ensure that you get more guidance about how to improve your work.

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Annex B

You can help by making sure you listen carefully and behave well at all times.

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